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NDP convention gets boost from Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz

The NDP convention gets underway in Montreal Friday.

A delegate checks out a souvenir t-shirt on the first day of the federal New Democratic Party's weekend national policy convention Friday, April 12, 2013 in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press)

MONTREAL—New Democrats received a high-profile endorsement of their way of viewing the world from Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who decried the social inequality he argued is created by focusing too narrowly on economic growth.

“The inequality in Canada is getting out of hand. It is reaching levels that will begin to have serious, complex consequences for the economy and the society. If left unchecked, it will even begin to erode many of the democratic values that Canadians hold so dear,” Stiglitz, who was an economic adviser to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, told nearly 1,600 delegates in his keynote speech to open the NDP policy convention Friday.

“It’s not just economics. It’s how we shape those economic forces. It’s policies. It’s what governments do and that’s why what you are doing here is so important,” said Stiglitz, who had earlier told the crowd, to its obvious delight, he believes the NDP will form the next federal government in two years.

The support came as New Democrats came together for what party officials have been referring to as a pre-election convention, which involves training activities for grassroots activists but also ongoing efforts to convince Canadians the left-of-centre party is ready to govern the economy.

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“We see ourselves as a government in waiting and part of the path to government for us is building trust with Canadians that progressive governments have a better record of economic management than those who increase inequality and have a more ideological conservative agenda,” Toronto NDP MP and finance critic Peggy Nash said in an interview.

“I think our electoral success provincially and federally is helping us focus more on pragmatic solutions and I think part of that is Jack Layton’s legacy, where, yes, you have principled ideas but you also focus on getting things done for Canadians,” said Nash of an approach that has been continued by Thomas Mulcair, who elected NDP leader just over a year ago.

“It’s really to take a scientific look, rather than an ideological look, at policy and target those areas that we need to improve,” Quebec NDP MP Jamie Nicholls, the deputy critic for energy and natural resources.

That pragmatism was on display on the convention floor Friday afternoon, when grassroots members debated policy resolutions with an economic theme.

The more controversial policy resolutions the Conservatives have been describing as dangerous to the economy — such as those calling for the nationalization of banks, the oil and gas sector and the auto industry — never made it out of in-camera discussions and onto the convention floor.

“I think the party is growing up,” said Nicholls. “(A key) to victory will be to show that we understand economic issues and that we can be a pragmatic party that can look over policy that is going to benefit the Canadian economy.”

Instead, delegates voted to adopt six resolutions, mostly about maintaining the status quo or reversing recent cuts or changes brought in by the Conservative government: combating tax havens, repealing legislation forcing unions to be more open about their finances, protecting supply management, more predictable funding for VIA Rail, reversing cuts to Employment Insurance and enshrining a proactive pay equity regime in law.

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